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Personal Capture Presenter Guide for Mac

This document explains how to use Echo360 Personal Capture to record, edit and publish videos from your computer. To fully utilize this guide, you should have the Personal Capture software downloaded and installed before you begin.

Note: In order to publish a recording, you must already have an Echo account and course set up. To request access, please contact the UKIT Service Desk.

Getting Started

Open the Applications folder and double-click on the Echo360 Personal Capture icon to launch the application.

The application will open to the Welcome screen, which will give you two options [Go to My Recordings, Start Recording]. Select Start Recording to create a new recording.

There are three action buttons [Configure, My Recordings, and Start Capture] and three Recording Options [Audio, Screen, Video] at the bottom of the recording screen. To use a recording device, check the box marked Enabled. The audio is enabled by default. Enable or disable visual inputs on this screen.

If a recording device is greyed out or a new device is needed, click on the Configure button to choose from the devices available. Make certain that the device you wish to use is plugged in and activated.

Change the Screen Capture Screen (if you have two or more monitors), and the Video Quality (Actual Size is used for on-screen presentations such as PowerPoint and web browsing. Smaller Size is used for webcam and video recording). For optimal Screen Capture, the computer's Display options will also need to be changed. To change Display resolution, select 'System Preferences' from the apple drop-down menu, and within the Hardware section, select 'Displays'. The preferred resolution is '640 X 480' or '800 X 600'.

Change Video Device by selecting options from the Device drop-down menu and Video Quality (Actual Size is used for on-screen presentations such as PowerPoint and web browsing. Smaller Size is used for webcam and video recording).

To learn more about your recording options, click Help.

To save your configuration changes, click Save.

Recording

After setting up your devices, gather documents, web sites, and other reference materials you will use during your recording. If you have a web-cam or other video device enabled, make sure you are properly framed and that your lighting is adequate. Test the microphone to make certain that the input volume is at the best level.

To begin recording, select Start Capture. This will minimize the Personal Capture screen to the dock and give you a countdown before live recording begins. The recording time will show in the menu bar at the top of the screen, to the right.

To pause at any point during the recording, there are three options:

Find the Echo Personal Capture application in the dock and click to open. Select Pause Capture.

When your recording has been paused, this button will read Resume Capture. Press this button to continue your recording.

Select the Echo360 Icon in the apple bar (left of the timer) and select Pause Capture from the drop-down menu.

Hit Apple + 6 on the keyboard.

To stop recording, there are three options:

Find the Echo Personal Capture application in the dock and open to select Stop Capture.

Select the Echo360 Icon in the apple bar (left of the timer) and select Stop Capture from the drop-down menu.

Hit Apple + 8 on the keyboard.

Editing

To edit the recording, either edit immediately after finishing the recording or by going into My Recordings view at any time later.

Edit Tools:

Sliders -- left and right sliders used to trim beginning and end of recording.

Playhead -- the red playhead is used to find the start and end to any sections that need to be cut within the recording.

Markers -- left (mark-in) and right (mark-out) buttons are used to mark the start and end of a cut that is found using the playhead.

To trim the recording (optional):

Drag the left slider (orange arrow pointing right) to trim the front of the recording.

Drag the right slider (orange arrow pointing left) to trim the end of the recording.

To verify that the recording is trimmed to your liking, move the playhead to the beginning and/or end of the recording and press play. You can watch specific sections or the entire recording.

If you are unsatisfied with the trimming, select the Clear Cuts button and try again.

If you are satisfied with the trimming, click the Apply Edits button to save changes.

Once edits are applied, you will be redirected to the My Recordings screen; if more changes are needed, select the recording you were just in to continue editing.

To cut out (delete) a segment of the recording (Optional)

Position the playhead on the section where the cut needs to start (the playhead will show a timer).

Click the left (mark-in) button (orange button containing an isosceles triangle) to place the mark-in point at the current playhead position.

Position the playhead on the section where the cut needs to end.

Click the right (mark-out) button to place the mark-out point at the current playhead position.

Click the Cut button; the cut area(s) will appear in grey on the timeline.

To verify that the recording is trimmed to your liking, move the playhead to the beginning and/or end of the recording and press play. You can watch specific sections or the entire recording.

If you are unsatisfied with the cut, select the Clear Cuts button to try again.

If you are satisfied with the cut, click the Apply Edits button to save changes. Please note: the editing changes cannot be undone once the edits are applied.

Once edits are applied, you will be redirected to the My Recordings screen; if more changes are needed, select the recording you were just in to continue editing.

Publishing

Echo works in a manner similar to Blackboard: content published using Echo PCAP goes into a specific course feed, which can then be shared publicly or with a limited group of viewers, such as students in a particular class. Course feeds in Echo are created on demand. To request one, contact your college or department IT staff or the UKIT Service Desk. Once the course feed is set up, you will be able to use your link blue account to publish directly from the Echo PCAP program and access your published content on the Echo Server. Echo content can also be automatically fed into a Blackboard course shell or iTunes U podcast.

Publishing and Tips

Once you have finished recording and editing, clicking publish will bring up a Link Blue login to the Echo360 server. (Note: If you have not contacted UKIT to be added as an Echo User and have not contacted departmental IT staff to have an Echo course created, the Link Blue login will not work.) The software comes preloaded with the ability to connect to UK's streaming server, so no configuration is necessary.

Once published, Echo recordings must be made available in before they can be shared with others via links, RSS feeds, Blackboard, or iTunesU. After the recording is made available it can be shared throughout the UK community.

Echo360 Publishing Options

When publishing a Personal Capture to the Echo360 server, you may choose from a variety of publishing options. Echoes can be made available at any time (see Publishing and Tips above). Various permissions can also be set for Echoes:

Blackboard Stream Only - A link will be published through a Blackboard course and only those members enrolled in the Blackboard course will be able to view the video.

AD/MC - Members will be prompted to use a Link Blue ID to view the stream or download, thus any member of the UK community can view the Echo.

Allow All - Any person in the world who is given the link may view the Echo, no course or password restrictions are enforced on the Echo stream/download.

Echoes can also be set available as downloads or restricted to streaming viewing only. You may choose from several file types to present captures to students and other members of the UK community:

You may choose high quality or low quality for audio and video, depending on the method you wish to use to distribute your content. To distribute Echoes, you can choose to publish links to a Blackboard course, publish content to an iTunes U course (which requires the Echoes to be downloadable), or be given direct links to Echoes which users can then email or hand out to viewers at their discretion.